Improvement in boilers for heating purposes



J. BRADLEY.

Steam Heater.

Patented May 5, 1868.'

N'PETERS, PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER,WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

JOHN BRADLEY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DAVID L.

BARTLETT AND HOBAOB W. BOBBtNs, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOILERS FOR HEATING PURPOSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.- 77,576. dated May 5, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BRADLEY, of the city and county of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful ,lmprovemcnt in the Construction of Healing Boilers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure] is a front elevation of my apparatus; Fig. 2, a central section in line A B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an elevation of the rear of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 a bottom view thereof.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of the figures.

The nature of my invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of sectional cast-iron chambers to form a hot-water boiler or steam generator and radiator combined.

The apparatus is constructed of a number of cast-metal hollow chambers or sections placed together so as to allow a passage of air between each of them over their faces, and pro vided with numerous transverse tubular openings, which also allow the passage of air-currents through them from side to side, a portion of these sectional hollow chambers being so designed as to form, when combined, a firechamber with return fines over the same through which the heat, flame, and gases of combustion pass from the rear to the front and back again, and the remainder a water-back through which the heat, flame, 850., first pass from the firechamber to the rear, then to the fines which conduct Over the fire-chamber to the front, and again, finally, back to the rear, where they pass into a suitable chimney.

Each of the sections which by their combination form my improved heating apparatus are exteriorly of the same dimensions and general outline, and are cast hollow so as to leave an interior water-space within them. (Indicated in blue color in Fig. 2 of the drawings.) This water-space is, however, intersected and divided as much as possible by cross-tubes f, which, opening outwardly at either end, admit freely the passage of aircurrents from side to side of each section, these tubes f being cast in one piece with the section, or otherwise so tightly fitted as to form water-tight joints, so that there shall be no leakage around or through them from the inner water-space.

The section m, forming the front of the apparatus, is provided with an enlarged opening, 0, in the lower portion thereof, extending entirely through it. This opening 0 is closed by a suitable door,- 0, Fig. 1, and furnishes admittance to the fire-chamber g of the apparatus. It does not extend down to the foot of the section, the inner water-space, 8, being left unbroken down on each side and across thebottom thereof. The fire-chamber g is obtained by so constructing the sections of to be placed immediately in the rear of this front section, 1p, as that a central open space is left in the lower portion of each extending down to the base thereof between side columns or hollow legs which open into the water-space in the upper portion of the section. These water-legs, as well as the main upper portion of the section, are perforated with tubular air-passages.

. A projecting rim, n a, Fig. 2, is cast around the open space thus formed in each of these 'sections at on each side thereof, so that the faces of the sections when placed togethershall not bein contact, but an open-air space be left between them, while the contact of these rims serves to inclose the fire-chamber g completely on either side. The top of the chamber 9 is also closed by providing the horizontal transverse openings through the sections immediately over the chamber, also with projecting rims n n", Fig. 4, which by their contact shall make a close joint across the entire top thereof, as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The tubular openings through the sections immediately over the fire box being thus united by the contact of their rims form continuous fines b b, which are made to extend from the front to the rear of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 2. The depth of the fire-cham her 9 will in all cases be determined by the number of sections m thus placed together, and may consequently be readily varied and adjusted at pleasure.

In the rear of the fire-chamber sections m", and to close said'chamber rearwardly, I place an unbroken section, of, having, however, tubular openings formed transversely through it, as above described. Such of these openings as penetrate into the fire-chamber serve the tubular openings corresponding with those a 0 opening into the fire-chambenas also around those corresponding to the series I) b, extending over the top thereof, obtain continuous fines extendingentirely to the rear. By placing a metallic cover, K, over the mouths of the flues thus formed on thelast section of the apparatus the smoke and heat, &c., passing out through the flues c a may be turned back through the upper lines, I) b, to the front, and where itis desired to obtain a more entire absorption of the heat from the products of com bustion, a similar cover may be placed over the mouths of the fines b b, to connect them with still another series, a a, formed by connecting the corresponding tubular air-passages through from end to end of the apparatus, and thus conduct the smoke and heat back again once more to the rear, as illustrated by the arrows in Fig. 2, before discharging the same into the chimney of the apparatus.

The covering-chests K, over the mouths of the lines a, b, and a at each end of the appara tus, may be provided with doors K, (see Fig. 1) to admit of ready access to said fines for the purpose of cleaning them out at pleasure. As these flues all pass directly through the waterspace in each and every section of the apparatus, their heat is imparted readily to the water, and as all of the sections are also fitted with numerous tubularair-passages,also passing directly through said water-space in each, the heat of the water or steam is quickly radiated.

By keeping the sections apart from each other, using projecting rims and flanges to make thejoints necessary in forming the fire-chambers, the smoke-fines and the connecting-ports admitting a circulation of water and steam throughout the apparatus, a free circulation of air is admitted between as well as around the sections, so that, in connection with the transverse air-passages ff, a very great amount of outer radiating, as well as of inner heating, surface is obtained in the apparatus.

The inner water-spaces, s s, of the several sections are united, and free communication and circulation established between them by means "of openings in the -upper and in the lower portions of the sections united by projecting rims forming water and steam tight joints. These openings communicate directly through in straight lines. The upper communicating ports are placed centrally. Two series thereof are formed in the lower portions of the sections on each side of the apparatus, so as to pass through the water-legs on each side of the fire-chamber g, as shown in Fig. 4. Through these circulating-channelsare passed the bolts h h, which unite and secure the sections,and which pass entirely through from end to end of the apparatus. By thus passing the bolts through the interior of the apparatus in the water or steam space they become selfadjusting to all the changes of temperature, and will expand and contract simultaneously with the expansion or contraction of the me tallic sections themselves, thus avoiding unequal strain and preventing a looseness of the joints from this cause.

Having thus fully described my invention, I

claim therein as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent- 1. Two or more sectional cast-metal water or steam chambers intersected by transverse air tubes or passages and inclosing or encompassing a central fire space, in combination with two or more similar chambers formed without such fire-space, when all of said chambers are connected by continuous direct water and steam channels and intersected by transverse smoke-fines, and are also separated by intermediate air'spaces, the whole being arranged and made to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The formation and arrangement of continuous smoke and hot-air flues in and through asectionalheating-boilerand radiator by means of tubular openings in the several sections fitting and connecting with each other, substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

JOHN BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

E. L. BARTLETT, Tnos. BART. 

